Depth-regulating draft device for ground-working tools



H. F. TOWNER. DEPTH REGULATING DRAFT DEVICE FOR GROUND WORKING TOOLS. APPLICATION FILED APR. I9, 1921.

1,397,748., Patented Nov. 22, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

H. F. TOWNER. DEPTH REGULATTNG DRAFT DEVICE TDH GROUND WDRTUNG TOOLS.

APPLICATION FILED APR.19| 1921. v 1 ?3975748, Patented Nov. 22, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHED 2.

IN V EN TOR.

ATTQRNEY i .UNITED sTATEs PATENT oFFicE.

HEBER. F. TowNEn, or SANTA ANA, CALIFORNIA.

nm'rH-BEGULATING DRAFT DEvIoE ron GROUND-WORKING moors'.

To all whom z'tmy concern X- Be it known that I, HEBER F. TowNER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Santa Ana, in the county of Orange and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Depth- Regulating Draft Devices for Ground- 'Working Tools, of which the following is a specification.

character employed in raising .and lowering ground working tools for withdrawing them from the earth and permitting them to lower so as to penetrate the earth to the depth to which it is desired to work the soil. VThe invention is especially useful for connecting a tractor. to the ground working caterpillar-tread typeof tractor.

attached to the well-known track-laying or Other objects and advantages will appear hereinafter.

- The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention: f v

`Figure 1 is a side elevation of a draft de-` vice embodying the invention, a portion of the supporting member being broken awayv to contract the view. The device is shown equipped with ground-working tools and/attached to a tractor which is shown in dotted lines. The ground working tools areA shown all, but fragments, of the tractor frame.

The caster wheel is partly broken away to'-v contract the view.

Fig. 3 is a section al elevation' on line dicated by :v3-m, Flg. 2. s

line lndicated by w-zv", Fig.y 2.

A tractor is indicatedat A in Fig. 1 of the i that the improved draft device is connected.

The draftdevi'ce is indicated in general by the character* C and it f is deslgned to be pivot- ,ally connected t0 the frame B,- For this' Specification of Letters Patent.

The pivots 1, 2 are thus provided on eachs1de of the frame and are positioned in planes ly1ng between the tractor sprockets F, G. The pivots 1 engage bearings 3 in the forward ends of supporting members 4, the

n n forward portions of .the members 4 having This mventlon relates to devices of the downwardly andv forwardly slanting portions 5. Rearwardly ofthe portions 5 the members 4 are connected with one another by a brace or braces 6; The rear portions of the members 4 converge as indicated at 7 and areprovided with a bearing 8 sup orted by a caster wheel 9.r As the caster w eel 9 runs over an uneven surface, the members 4 swmg up and down on the pivots 1. yIn order to aid in the prevention of side mo# tion of the members 4relative to the tractor, the members 4 are provided with downwardly extending. fingers 10 adapted t0 have` sliding engagement with guides 11 fastened to the rear 'ends of the upper frame lmembers D. Some tractors are provided with members similar to the guides 11 and such mem-y bers, therefore, function as the guides. .In other cases, it is necessaryto provide the tractor with the guides 11.

The lower pivots 2`engage bearings 12 -formed in the forward ends of ldraft arms 13 that project forwardly from a frame 14 from which the ground working tools are suspended. One form of -ground working tools'is indicated at 15 and another form at 16", but it is to vbe understood that the types shown are only illustrative andl that any' other suitable types of ground working tools may be employed, if desired.

, When'the tractor advances, it is clear that the pull of the `tools 15, 16, is transmitted through draft arms 13 tothe lowest portion of the tractor frame B and that, because of the connections between the arms 13 and the l #frame -B beingvat apoint substantially mid- Fig. 4 is a fragmental elevation from the way between the axes of the tractor sprockets Patented Nov. 22,1921. l

Application mea Aprn 19, 1921. serial No. 462,523.

F, G, upward and downward movement of thepivots 1 and 2 will be a minimum when 1.

the tractor operates over an uneven surface,

-fr tj is wellV known that'the rear end of a tractor is liableto be raised higher than its l intermediate portion when the tractor is ridbecau'se of this'parti'cular way of connecting the ground working tools with'the tractor, theangle at which the ground WQlking tools 'ing over a mound'or ridge of earth.` Thus,

engage the earth will not greatly vary when the tractor is traveling over an uneven surface and drawing the tools through the earth. v

The means provided for raising and lowering the frame 14 are constructed 4as follows: Pivoted at 17 to brackets 18 mounted on .the frame 14 are links 19 arranged, inN this instance, in pairs. Each pair of links 19 is pivoted at 20 to a crank 21, the cranks 21 beingprovided at the ends of a shaft 22 journaled in bearings 23 which are supported by the members 4. Projecting from the shaft 22 is an arml 24 which is pivoted at 25 to a link 26 that, in turn, is pivoted at 27 to an operating lever 28. The operating lever 28v is pivotally connected at 29 to one of 4.the

memes and lower correspondingly but will be maintained at a substantially uniform depth.'

l have provided for relative adjustment of the frame 14 and draft arms 13, and for this purpose said frame is provided with upstanding flanges 36 which are pivoted at their forward ends at 37 to the arms 13, respectively. The rear ends of the flanges 36 are provided with slots 38 through which pass bolts 39 fixed to the `arms 13. By loosening the bolts 39 the frame 14 may be swung up Aor down relative to the arms 13 fingers' 10 and is adjustable along a notched "to change the angular relation of the ground quadrant 41, the lever 28 being provided with theusual detent for selectively engaging the notches of the quadrant for holding the lever in the position to which it is adjusted. When nthe lever 28 is moved'forwardly it raises the frame 14 with respect elevate the ground-working tools.

to the tractor and the caster wheel 9 so as to Across member 31 connects the bearings i 23 with each other and mounted on said cross member is a yoke 32 to which is vfastened by an eye bolt 33 the upper end of a spring 34 that is connected at its lower end by an eye bolt 35 to the frame 14. The spring 34 functions to take some of the weight of the frame 14 and ground working tools off of the lever 28 and prevents too, rapid descent of the frame 14 when the detent 30 is released.

The bearings 3, 12 are detachably mounted on the pivots 1, 2, cotter `pins 42 in the pivots preventing the bearingsv yfrom becoming detached.

kThe invention operates as follows: The

l device will be attached to the tractor in the manner explained above with the lever 28 in position to elevate the ground working tools. The tractor will be driven over the surface to be worked and the operator will push the lever 28 forward to a position that accords with the desired'depth of insertion of the groundworking tools into the soil. If lthe soil is very firm, seas to make it ldifficult to raisethe ground working tools, 'when the'operator desires to so raise said tools,- he will drivel the tractor rearward,

thus aidingy in pushing the-tools upwardly.4 Because ofthe pivotal connection between the members 4 and the tractor frame and between the draft arms 13 and the frame, y

the ground working tools, when being drawn ythrough-uneven ground, will swing up and down in an arc whose center is the-pivots 2, which are posltioned relatively close to the lsurface fof the earth, thus entailing ,th-at,

when the frame 14 is being-raised the angle ofthe tools with respect to the earth is dimlfnlslled. Because of the relatively low working tools to theearth.

To prevent side motion of the draft Aarms 13, and consequently of the frame 14, the` lower frame members E of the tractor are provided with upstanding fingers-10 adapted to be engaged by the"inner faces of the 'arms 13.

@ne of the great advantages of the pivbts 2 being positioned below a plane connecting the centers of the wheels of the tractor is` that when the pull of the tools comes upon the tractor as thetools are working in the earth said pull will have a tendency to hold down the front end of the tractor, thus maximi'zing the traction ofthe tractor tread.

l: claim:

1. In a depth-regulating draft device, supporting members adapted at their forward ends for pivoted connection with the frame of a tractor, draft arms adapted at their forward 'ends for pivotal connection with the tractor frame, a frame connected with said arms, ground-working tools carried by the frame,` a caster wheel to support the rear ends of thesupporting members, and means adjustably connecting the tool-carrying r with the-frame of a tractor, a caster wheel and means supported in part by the lcaster wheel to raise. and lower the tools.

. 4. The combination with a track-laying tractor, o f pivots carried at the sides of the tractor framebetween the tractor sprockets,

draft arms engaging said pivots, a frame connected with said arms and adapted to carry ground-working tools,a caster wheel,

and means supported in part by the caster wheel to raise and lower the frame.

5. In a depth-regulating draft device, supporting members adapted at their forward ends for pivoted connection with the frame of a tractor. draft arms adapted at their for- Ward ends for pivotal connection with the frame of the tractor, a frame connected with said arms and adapted to carry ground- Working tools, a caster Wheel supporting the rear ends of the supporting members, a

lever pivotally mounted on one of the supporting members, and means operatively connecting the tool-carrying frame with the lever.

Signed at Los Angeles, California, this 12th day of January, 1921.

HEBER F. TOWNER.

i Witnesses:

LEONARD S. LYON, L. BELLE WEAVER. 

